The Knowle West regeneration project

What the Knowle West regeneration project is, what we're working on now, what've done already, have your say in the new developments.

What the Knowle West regeneration project is

The Knowle West regeneration project aims to transform Knowle West, to better meet the needs of the city and the local community.

Knowle West is in the south of Bristol, around 2 miles from the city centre. The area sits within the Knowle and Filwood wards. 

Knowle West Regeneration Framework

The Knowle West Regeneration Framework is a 20-year plan for meeting community aspirations for the area. Following public consultation, the plan was approved by Cabinet and published in October 2012. Its development was overseen by the Knowle West Project Board, which included residents and ward councillors.

pdf Knowle West Regeneration Framework baseline briefing  (14.67 MB)

pdf Knowle West Regeneration Framework investment principles  (559 KB)

What the regeneration project involves

The Knowle West regeneration involves:

  • building new housing
  • improving the local high street and public spaces
  • creating a new Multi-Use Games Area that the community can use for various types of sports games, such as football, basketball or tennis
  • opening and expanding schools
  • constructing a new youth zone
  • improving local public transport
  • establishing Knowle West as a new home for green businesses in Bristol

Our vision for developing Knowle West

A 20-year pdf community vision for Knowle West (pdf, 713 KB) (713 KB)  was agreed following public consultation in 2009.

The vision is for Knowle West to be a community that is:

  • full of confidence and pride
  • skilled and healthy
  • more eco-friendly, well connected, and low in living costs

To help achieve the community vision, 13 main improvements were identified:

  • raise income through employment
  • improve health and wellbeing
  • widen local choice of housing size
  • refurbish existing houses, for example:
    • improve front gardens, streets and parks
    • encourage Do It Yourself streets improvement programmes
  • opening and expanding primary and secondary schools in the area
  • reinforce a close-knit neighbourhood, for example by:
    • creating a network of centres for health, shops, leisure, training, business
    • providing spaces for neighbourhood events
  • access to ecologically rich open space
  • pride of place
  • build a strong future-proof community able to cope with climate change, shortage of energy supply and economic recession, by supporting:
    • low carbon living
    • local food production
  • improve access to low-cost transport
  • public and community initiatives in advance of private investment, including:
    • establishing a community trust to deliver local projects
    • local priorities for section 106 money from developers (money that developers have to give as part of getting planning permission)
  • improve arts and culture
  • develop play and youth facilities by planning with young people

Filwood Levelling Up Fund

In January 2023, Filwood was awarded £14.5m of funding from the government's Levelling Up Fund. Along with £1.72m of Bristol City Council funding, this will enable the following six projects identified in the Filwood Broadway Framework to come forward:

  1. A new Filwood Library.
  2. Extensive improvements to the public space and high street.
  3. A new Multi-Use Games Area and football pitch floodlights.
  4. Expansion of Filwood Community Centre.
  5. Renovation of properties on the west side of Filwood Broadway.
  6. Revitalisation of the parade of shopfronts on the east side of Filwood Broadway.

For more information on the Filwood Levelling Up regeneration project visit the Transforming Filwood Broadway Engagement Hub.

Visit Filwood regeneration for more detailed information about the project. 

Have your say in the Knowle West regeneration project

We work with the community group the Knowle West Alliance. Alongside former community group Knowle West Future, they've developed a Pre Planning Protocol for Community Involvement.

The protocol sets a process for developers to follow, to make sure the community have meaningful input on proposals early on.

If you're a local resident interested in planning and new developments, you can contact or ask to join one of these groups. We work with them on new proposals and provide quarterly updates on regeneration projects in Knowle West.

Knowle West regeneration completed projects

Projects that have been completed since the adoption of the Knowle West Regeneration Framework in 2012 are:

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